Press Contact: Dr. Carol Cross
Mahogany Youth Corporation
Phone 786-507-1555
Email darialightfoot28@...

For Immediate Release

Eco-Fishing Youth Fishing Camp Being Held In South Florida To Teach
Sustainable Fishing Tourism

Miami, Florida. A summer Eco-Fishing camp is being held in South
Florida by Mahogany Outdoors to teach South Florida youth catch and
release fishing combined with environmental education about Florida's
water resources and how to ensure that the fish resource will be
there for subsequent generations, according to Dr. Carol Cross,
Marketing Director for the camp to be held in TY Park in Fort
Lauderdale, Florida June 9 to August 15, 2008.

Eco-Fishing combines Environmental Education With Recreational
Fishing. Eco-Fishing is sustainable tourism at work. A key component
of Eco-fishing is Catch and Release fishing. Catch and Release is
one of the methods Eco-Fishers can use to preserve our water
resources and environmental quality. In Florida alone billions of
dollars are spent by fishermen. Many fishing clubs are developing
environmental project relating to habitat restoration, stream
cleanup, and streamside plantings. It's a self interest approach as
fishermen want to continue to fish and thus they now know they must
maintain the resource. Eco-Fishing is a way of recreation outdoors
that also preserves the environment.

The concept of Eco-Fishing is in its infancy but catch and release
fishing has replaced much of the harvesting of fish in developed
countries. Fisherman catch the fish, enjoy the moment, take photos
and then release them back into the water to be caught again. To
ensure fish survival, tools have been developed like barbless hooks,
dehookers that remove the hooks without damaging the fish and
deflators which enable fish brought up from the depth to release the
gas from ruptured or damaged air bladders. Fishermen are always
seeking new way to preserve the environment, the fish resource and
their opportunity to continue the sport of fishing. Other aspects of
Eco-Fishing the children will be taught will include cleaning up
fishing sites by removing discarded fish line which can kill animals
and birds. This kind of fishing I call Eco-fishing.

How is the next generation of fishermen being taught this new style
of Eco-fishing? Children need to be taught to release the fish when
caught, how to remove the hook safely and how to not put their hands
on the fish's body because this removes the outer coating which could
cause the fish to die when returned to the water. They will learn
about overfishing, poor fish handling, selecting good tackle,
preventing habitat damage, and to ensure they do not pollute with
plastic bags and other debris. Teaching Eco-Fishing to children is a
vital service in South Florida offered by the non profit Mahogany
Youth Corporation, through its 10 week Eco-fishing camp this summer
in Broward and Dade County.

In this camp, youth will combine classroom study of fish habits, fish
identification, knot typing, ecological principles with outdoor
casting practice followed by fishing under adult supervision. The
children will have opportunities to go out on a boat one day each
week to learn boat safety and how to fish from a boat. At the end of
each week, there will be a one day tournament, with trophies and
prizes for the winners.

Enrollment in this unique Eco-fishing camp is $250 per week. Campers
can enroll for one week or all remaining weeks. To enroll or find out
more information go to http://www.satglobal.com/ecofishing_camp.htm.